Tigers Romp 36-18 Wrestling

For Northwestern's rampaging wrestling team, the operative rallying cry in terms of defending its Centennial League championship is now, "Two down and one to go."

One week after dispatching the first of three serious contenders for the crown - Northern Lehigh - Mike Pladus' Tigers last night merely broke even in the two main events but swept to victory in eight bouts overall to hang a convincing 36-18 defeat on Contender No. 2, Ed Watto's Pocono Mountain Cardinals.

The one to go? A tough, well-balanced Stroudsburg crew that will visit New Tripoli two weeks hence for what will in all probability settle the 1984-85 Centennial League issue.

In truth, Pocono Mountain won the first of the evening's big bouts, when tough and determined Tony Diaz (now 7-2) walked over a nasty bar with about 30 seconds left, picked up three nearfall points to erase a 7-6 deficit and earned a well-deserved 9-7 triumph over previously once-beaten Tiger star Jim Yost at 132.

That cut Northwestern's lead to 20-9, and Watto began hoping that all- important momentum would shift his kids' way as well.

But the Tigers' Jason Schmoyer shrugged off an early takedown by Pocono's Doug Leies and piled up eight nearfall points en route to a 12-2 major decision. That ended speculation about who had momentum one bout later.

Padamonsky met head on with Pocono's unbeaten Dirk Phillips, who had not only won all seven of his prior matches, but pinned all seven opponents.

But, after Padamonsky countered a Phillips power move and turned it into a takedown of his own at the end of the first period, Phillips never really threatened. Padamonsky immediately reversed to start the second period, tacked on a nearfall and rode out the entire third period for a convincing 6-1 triumph.

"That was one that really hurt," Watto said later. "We know Padamonsky's good - but we think Phillips is too. But he was never really in the match.

"Then, too, there were a couplecalls in an earlier match that didn't go our way and, from a coach's standpoint, they were critical. One bout may not have turned it all around by itself, but it could've given us some momentum."

Watto was referring to the 112-pound bout between his talented freshman, Steve Paglusch, and the Tigers' Ed Kelchner. Kelchner's 9-4 victory margin sounds reasonably routine, but it wasn't routine at all.

Leading 5-4 late in the bout (he had trailed 4-0 earlier), Kelchner reversed Paglusch to his back for a four-point maneuver. But Paglusch himself appeared to many to have duplicated that maneuver in the final five seconds - but veteran referee Ted Martz didn't agree. Four points would've still left Paglusch a point short, but the cardinal bench was convinced that Paglusch had actually pinned Kelchner as the clock ticked off the final seconds.

"The kids wrestled well," said a low-key Pladus. "I don't want to take anyone for granted, but all the indications are right now that the road to the league title goes right through Stroudsburg. (Mountie coach Ron Spinner might want to reverse that statement, since the big match IS at Northwestern.)

"There were a couple surprises, one both ways, I guess," Pladus said. "I know Diaz is a tough, talented kid, but we kind of thought we'd win that 132-pound bout. Jimmy (Yost) looked stale."

Other Tiger winners were 98-pounder Scott Derr, who locked Daryl Simpson in a split scissors and pinned him in 3:35; 119-pounder Tim Erkinger, who tied up Travis Smith's arms, stepped over his head and pinned him in 1:39; strong sophomore 126-pounder Dave Leiby, who turned Doug Leies every which way but loose en route to a 17-5 superior decision; 155-pounder Phil Villard, who overpowered Craig Snyder in another superior decision, 19-1, and 167-pounder Keith Nielsen, who majored Mike Watto 9-0.

Also winning for the Cardinals were 105-pounder Dave Resuta, who needed only 1:10 to pin Rich Smith; 185-pounder Mark Hardenstine, who packed Chris Hunsicker in 3:19, and heavyweight Chris Pozniak, who decisioned Bob DiCataldo 7-2.